exponentially

American  

[ek-spoh-nen-shuh-lee, ‐spuh‐] / ˌɛk spoʊˈnɛn ʃə li, ‐spə‐ /

adverb

1. at a steady, rapid rate.

   The cost of a college education has increased exponentially over the last 30 years.

2. Mathematics. at a continuous rate of growth or decay that can be calculated using the constant e, according to the rules of raising e to the power of a positive or negative exponent.

   Any population growing exponentially must, sooner or later, encounter shortages of resources.

   The measurable rate at which a radioactive nuclide’s atoms decay exponentially is the basis of radiometric dating.

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Other Word Forms

• nonexponentially
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of exponentially

exponential ( def. ) + -ly

Explanation

Use exponentially when you want to say that something's increasing quickly by large amounts. Your friends and colleagues will be pleased to hear that your vocabulary is growing exponentially. The root of exponentially is the French verb exponere, meaning “to put out.” Think of a factory that puts out so many products its creations seem to increase exponentially. The mathematical origin of this word has to do with multiplying a number by itself so think also of rabbits, who are known for multiplying exponentially. Now imagine if rabbits worked in a factory... (No animals were harmed during this explanation).

Example Sentences

That would happen again and again, in state and local governments across America, as the internet, and then social media influencers, drew exponentially more people to the cause.

From Salon • Jun. 22, 2026

Once upon a time, a dynamic young entrepreneur came to him with a brilliant idea that, on paper, could revolutionize healthcare diagnoses and reduce costs exponentially.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026

"Over the past few months the group has grown exponentially," says Susanne Niess, of That's Cake by Susanne.

From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026

"Especially in developer circles, the cost to use AI for things like coding has grown exponentially," said Mark Barton of tech consultancy Omniux.

From Barron's • May 31, 2026

It rises exponentially, so that a 7.3 quake is fifty times more powerful than a 6.3 earthquake and 2,500 times more powerful than a 5.3 earthquake.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson